It all began when I was approached to completely redesign the lighting for a church hall. I’d never done anything like that before but gave the design a lot of thought, fitted it, and then the best part came… when they saw the lighting design fitted. Their faces absolutely lit up and it made me realise that by transforming their lighting, it had created enjoyment and it genuinely made a difference to them. That’s what got me into it, and why I continue to do what I do.

2) Is there a particular style of lighting that you love?

There isn’t one favourite style I have, but I do love working on modern and contemporary designs. Saying that, I love the challenge of an older, Edwardian or Victorian house and mixing the elements of old with new – that can be really interesting to do in terms of designing.

3) Which lighting features do you like working with?

A favourite of mine has to be highlighting specific parts of a room, such as paintings and bare brick chimney breasts. I love how these elements can be brought to life by lighting, it really can transform a room!

4) What is the best part of creating a lighting design?

It’s got to be when it’s completed and you see the expression on the customers faces – that’s what it’s all about. It’s also a great part for me as I spend a long time designing and working on each lighting design so to see the completed product is always rewarding.

5) What’s a benefit of having a lighting design?

A lighting design can completely transform a room by creating different scenes. It also lights up the space much better than a standard pendant would and it’s more efficient. There are so many more benefits, but that’s just a few of the top reasons. Our previous blog tells you some of the other benefits too!

We hope you’ve enjoyed getting behind the scenes and hearing from our designer himself. If you’re interested in chatting about a lighting design for your home, then get in touch and speak with Ben today!

Seeing as founder of BPL, Ben, and his wife Steph have just embarked on the trip of a lifetime travelling around Australasia for 6 weeks, we thought it seemed appropriate to take a look at international lighting design trends of 2018!

First up, we take a trip across the Atlantic ocean to see what Americans are excited about in the lighting design world…

America

In 2018, it looks as though Americans are loving vintage lighting fixtures! More specifically, aged copper pendant lights which look absolutely stunning when hung low in a kitchen or perhaps in a mix and match design which we spoke about in our previous blog. In the UK, copper and rose gold were definitely colour trends for interior design in 2017 so this 2018 trend is no real surprise. Saying that, we still love this look and have no complaints that it’s coming into 2018 with us!

Next we go north to Scandinavia…

Scandinavia

A very different trend to America indeed – giant paper lanterns! They have an Asian inspiration to them but keeping the colours neutral gives the design their own differentiated look. To nail this trend, we’d suggest they’re used in large spaces otherwise they may overcrowd the room. This design gives off a calm, open and relaxed vibe and it looks great when there’s more than one latern used as the photo shows.

Going East, we’re off to India…

India

The colours of Indian interior design are bold, colourful… and just stunning. Their latest trend definitely complements their traditional look – it’s oil lamps! Specifically, copper oil lamps, which follows the colour trend of America. This is a very unique design which is best suited to a room full of colour or a room which is Asian inspired to complete the look. Also, the lamps are a great feature as they give a completely different mood at night once they’re lit, a magical piece that has two different looks by day and night!

Moving further afield we now take a look at the land down under…

Australia

Pendant lights are the way forward for the Aussies this year, but more precisely with the aim of creating a mood or atmosphere. Pendant lights are a great way to add warmth to a room as well and creating a strong focal point and feel of a room. Designer Bandiera takes this look to a next level by suggesting you should “choose lighting that compliments your hardware in either hand blown glass, matte black, chrome or brass finishes” – and we totally agree! When BPL design lights we take a look at the room as a whole, considering hardware, surfaces, natural lighting (and many more elements), to ensure your new lighting design matches and enhances the feel of the room.

Finally, we visit the South American country, Brazil!

Brazil

It’s very interesting that Brazil’s 2018 trend is around Smart lighting. We expected this to have been more prominent with some of the other countries we’ve spoken about, but it appears Brazil is leading the way. We’ll actually be creating our own blog about Smart lighting next month, but for those who have no idea what it is, it’s basically lighting that can be controlled via the Internet. The reason Brazilians love it, is that you can reduce your electricity consumption by adjusting it when you’re out the house, simply by using your smartphone. Not only is it better for the environment, but some designs allow for you to change the colour of the lights depending on the room – such a clever and easy way to create mood lighting!

So there you go, there’s 5 lighting trends around the globe in 2018, and what a variety there is! Comment and let us know which one your favourites are and get in touch if you’d like us to help you achieve any of these in your home.

It’s the start of a new year, new projects around the home, and New Years Resolutions… so it’s time to get inspired and make a start! We’ll talk you through four different materials and styles to give you some ideas.

Glass

Glass is such a stylish material at the moment, it’s versatile and perfect for pretty much every room! If your room has a lack of natural light or it’s quite a small space, glass is great as it doesn’t obstruct any views or reduce the amount of natural light the room receives. Another reason we love glass is the luxury yet modern feel it gives, and the ability to add colour to the design is a bonus!

Mix and match

Mix and match styles are very on-trend, from décor and materials to colours and lights! This style works really well with pendants as a mix of heights can give a very contemporary feel and also plays with the mind to give the effect that there is more space than there actually is. However we’d recommend this style is implemented in a room with high ceilings, or perhaps a larger room in general to have the ability to have multiple pendant lights. You can also mix up the colours which gives you great flexibility and the option to create a real theme in the room – we’ll focus on colour more in a moment!

Modern

What is modern lighting? To us, it’s bold statements and quirky shapes! For a design to be modern it must be on-trend, so this style is constantly changing. As a designer, unconventional shapes are great fun to work with and it allows us to get very creative and make a real impact on a room. Modern lighting designs have the ability to renovate a dated room which is fantastic for those who don’t want to completely revamp an entire room; by simply investing in one modern lighting design, you can transform and update the entire room!

A splash of colour

We love colourful lighting designs! If your light is the centerpiece of a room, or you have multiple lights throughout the room, you can create a theme by simply adding colour to your lights! Colour has the ability to complete liven up a room and add some brightness to it, and it also works on a range of shapes and styles so it’s very versatile and works on almost any light design. Also, if it’s just your lighting designs that are coloured, it means in the future you can easily change the feel of the room by replacing the lights for another style or colour – simple!

BPL work with all the materials and styles we’ve spoken about – and more! So if you’re feeling inspired and want to take the first step in getting a brand new and bespoke lighting design for your home, get in touch today.